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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — part of the head
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spell — magic
  9. face — to confront
  10. current — of water
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. spring — the season
  13. current — happening now
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. kid — child
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. spring — of water
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com